Paper-feed for wrapping machine



- May 19,1931. r-. R. SCHMITT I PAPER FEED FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Feb. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y I & Y 1% May 19, 1931. F. R. SCHMITT PAPER FEED FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Patented May 19, 1931 v UNITED STATES PATENT 'oFFICE FRANK REINHOLD SCHMITT, OF 'QUEENS'ITILLAGE, NEW- YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERI- CAN MACHINE & FOUNDRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY PAPER-FEED FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Application filed February 1, 1930. Serial No. 425,210.

This invention relates to devices for feeding wrapping material to be used in Wrapping machines of the type in which the article wrapping mechanism operates to pull from a source of supply of the material just enough thereof to closely wrap the article, such for instance as that disclosed in Patent No. 1,626,379 to H. Y. Armstrong, dated April 26, 1927. 4

In such machines, the loaf is. commonly pushed into the end portion of a web of the wrapping material in such a manner that the article is enveloped by the end portion' of said web, and the movement of the loaf serves to pull off from the source of supply of said material a sufficient length thereof to closely wrap the article. Since this material is pulled against a certain amount of resistance by the source of supply, generally a reel, and by suitable wrapper guiding means, the wrapper is ordinarily drawn quite tightly around the loaf. For some purposes this tight wrapping is undesirable. For instance, it reduces the apparent size of the article and may otherwise mar its appearance. Also, it may reduce the actual size of soft articles by slightly compressing the same and when sharp edges or ridges are present, such for instance as those sometimes found on split loaves of bread, tight wrapping may-weaken or tear the wrapper. 7

The main object of the present device,

therefore, is to provide means for producing lose wrapping in article wrapping machines, such as those above pointed out. To this end, it is an object of the invention to provide a device for feeding a suflicient length of wrapping material in addition to that ordinarily pulled off by the Wrapping mechanism, to form a loosely wrapped package. Another object is to produce a simple and effective device for this purpose which will not require any extensive changes in the'machines and which will notinterfere with their nornTal operation. I

Witlrthese and other ly mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations whch will be hereinafter fully described and objects not specificalthen specifically set forth in the claims here-- feed roller in place of the intermittently operated segment of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the same taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. -In' carrying the invention into effect, there is provided in combination article-Wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a reel or other source of supply of wrapping material, a length thereof suflicient to closely wrap the article, and wrapping material feeding means operating on a portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrappin of the article. In the best constructions, sai means will include a feed roll in engagement with the material, together with means for periodically imparting feeding movement to said roll to feed the additional length of material after the first length has been pulled off. The means above referred to may be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular machine selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. Theinvention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawin s, an

article, in the present instance a loaf of read,

is shown in a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings of the above mentioned patent, with the wrapper Wshown in dash-dot lines tightly drawn around 1t.

The loaf is shown supported on the top plate 5 of the swinging table 6 and a spring finger 7 supported from the table 6 in any suitable way presses against the upper side of the loaf and the associated wrapper. As fully disclosed in the patent above referred to, the table 6 is pivoted at one end, not shown, to swing from a lower position to the position shown in Fig. 1. Vhile the table is in this lower position,the loaf is partially enwrapped in the end portion of the wrapper 1V and pushed on to said table. As the table swings to its upper position, it pulls off more wrapping material from a suitable source of supply thereof, not shown, leaving the loaf and the wrapper in the position shown in Fig. 1. Up to this time the wrapping mechanism-has pulled off a length of material just sufficient to tightly wrap the loaf. To provide an additional length of material for loose wrapping, rollers 8 are provided along the forward. edge of plate 5 and a coacting feed chine through gear segment 23, and this roller 11 mounted on pin 15 in frame 16 of the wrapping machine proper is provided. The rollers 8 are supported for adjustment to properly cooperate with the feed roller 11 by means of bearings 9 slidably mounted by plates 10.

As the swinging table 6 ascends from its lower position to its upper position, the web W guided between the rollers 8 and the roller 11 is gripped thereby, as shown in Fig. 1. One end of the roller 11 carries a ratchet 12 and this end of the roller is mounted for free relative rotation in the disk 13. This disk 13 is rotatably mounted by means of a stud 14 integral with said disk and journalled in a block 17 secured by a bar 18 to the frame 19 of the wrapping machine.

The stud 14 is rotated throgh a gear 20 secured thereto, which gear meshes with a gear 21 loosely mounted on a stud 22 in block 17. The gear 21 meshes with an oscillating gear segment 23 fastened to a lever arm 24 on a shaft 25 carried by frame 19. This gear segment is oscillated in timed relation to the operation of the wrapping machine by a connecting rod 26 reciprocated by a cam, not shown, driven directly by a shaft of the wrapping machine.

The disk 13 is thus rotated in timed relation to the operation of the wrapping mall dis is provided with a pivoted pawl 27 pushed into engagement with the ratchet 12 by a spring 28, whereby rotation of the disk in one dlrection imparts feed movement to the roller 11. This feeding movement of the roller will follow the length of the wrap ping material already pulled from a source of suply thereof, with an additional length of material forming the loop shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, sufiicient to produce the loosely wrapped package- I It will be understood that the cam operating the rod 26 is so timed that the gear 23 starts to move in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 just after the loaf has reached the position shown in Fig. 1 and that the throw of the rod 26 will be made suflicient to cause the roller 11 to feed enough additional material to produce the desired loose wrapping. The movement of the gear segment in the other direction will merely cause the pawl to slide over the ratchet, and this pawl and ratchet connection will permit the wrapping material to be pulled past the rollers 8 and 11 without interference.

As the loaf of bread L is pushed over the lower portion of said loop onto the receiving table 29, the paper is cut by the knife 30 mounted on blocks 31 on the shafts 25 and 32 and operated by the rod 33 from a cam on the wrapping machine and coperating with the ledger plate 34. The loosely enwrapped loaf is then ready for the usual tucking and sealing operations which will result in a completed loosely wrapped package.

In the case of very large loaves, or large cartons, when the amount of loose wrapper needed to make a good package is comparatively large, the intermittently operated segment may preferably be replaced by a continuously driven oscillating roller which will supply the additional wrapper length required during its periods of engagement with a stationarily positioned roller. The amount of loose wrapper fed in this case is regulated by the duration of contact time between the two rollers which is not limited as is the length of a segment and which may therefore be made any amount desired. It is adjusted, as before, by varying the length of stroke of the oscillating member.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modification of the improved wrapping materiah (paper) feed suitable for large packages, the gear segment 23 being in this case replaced by the oscillating frame 35 which supports the feed roller 11. When the loaf L, with the wrapper 1V folded around it, is held between plate 5 and spring 7, on the table 6, which latter has just ascended, and the oscillating frame 35 is in the dotted position 35 shown in Fig. 4. Before the loaf is pushed onto the wrapper folding table 29 by the fingers 36 on chain 37, the frame 35 which is connected by a rod 38 with a cam or other suitable actuating device (not shown), brings the positively driven roller 11 in contact with the stationary roller 8, thereby feeding an extra length of wrapper WV to the package. I

The roller 11 is continuously driven by a sprocket 39 on shaft 40, held by a bracket 41 attached to cross-bar 42 suported by frames 43 and 44 of the wrapping machine. A chain 45 runs over sprockets 39 and 46, the latter being fixedly attached to a stud 47 fast in one end of roller 11 and rotatably held by a block 48. The other end of roller 11 is supported by the pivot 15 in block 49, the blocks 48 and 49 being parts of frame 35 which is loosely I mounted on the stationary shaft 25.

A sprocket detachably mounted on shaft 40 is driven by the pusher chain 37 supported by bars 51 and 52 and running over sprocket 53 on drive shaft 54. A top bar 55, fastened to bars 51 and 52 by a plate 56, keeps chain 37 in contact with sprocket 50.

After a sufficient length of wrapper VV' has been fed by the movement of roller 11, the loaf L is advanced by the pusher finger 36 to table 29. During this advance, the wrapper is cut by knife 30 operated by rod 33. The length of additional wrapper fed is regulated by adjusting the length of stroke of the means used to actuate rod 38, thereby setting the duration of engagement between roller 11 and roller 8.

If a tightly wrapped package is desired and no additional wrapper length is therefor required, the rotation of roller 11 may be arrested and thereby the wrapper feed stopped by detaching the sprocket 50 from shaft 40. For this purpose, the set pin 57, in the hub of sprocket 50, which has the -head 58 and which is normally held in a depression of shaft 40 by the spring 59, is pulled out, thereby disengaging the sprocket. In pulling up pin 57, a small pin 60 attached to head 58 is lifted out of a hole in nut 61 so that, by giving the head 58 a small turn, this pin will be arrested by the top face of the nut, thereby locking the spring 59 in its contracted (expanded) position and causing the sprocket 50 to run loose on shaft 40.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof suflicient to closely Wrap the article,

. of wrapper material feeding means operating on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article.

2. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof suflicient-to closely wrap the article, of wrapper material feeding means operating on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including a feed roll in engagement with the material and means for imparting feeding movement to said roll.

3. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof suflicient to closely wrap the article, of wrapper material feeding means operating on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length withan said length to follow said length with an ad- I ditional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including coacting rolls guiding the material to said mechanism and means for imparting feeding movement to one of said rolls, said last named means having a device for permitting free rotation of the roll when the material is pulled past the roll by said mechanism.

5. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to null from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof sufficient to closely wrap the article, of wrapping material feeding means operating on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including a feed roll in engagement with the material and gear means sufficient to closely wrap the article, of wrapping material feeding means operating on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including coacting rolls guiding the material to said mechanism and gear means for 1mparting feeding movement to one of sa1d rolls.

' 7. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof sufficient to closely wrap the article, of wrapping material feeding means operating to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including devices for gripping said wrapping material, and means for imparting a feeding movement .to said devices immediately after said mechanism has pulled the first mentioned length. 7

8. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a source of sugply of wrapping material a length thereof su cient to closely wrap the article, of wrapper material feeding means operating to follow said'length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including a feed roll in engagement with the material and an oscillating frame supporting said roll.

9. The combination with article wrapping mechanismoperating to pull from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof sufficient to closely wrap the article,

' of wrapper material feeding means operating to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including coacting rolls guiding the material to said mechanism and an oscillating frame supporting one of said rolls.

10. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof sufficient to closely wrap the article,

adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, and an oscillating knife to sever the measured amount of material.

12. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from at source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof suflicient to closely wrap the article,

of wrapper material feeding means Operating on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including a feed roll in engagement with the material and means for periodically imparting feeding movement to said roll.

on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including coacting rolls guiding the material to said mechanism and means for periodically imparting feeding movement to one of said rolls, said means having a device for permitting free rotation of the roll when the material is pulled past the roll by said mechanism.

15. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof sufficient to closely wrap thearticle, of wrapper material feeding means operating on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with v an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including coacting rolls guiding the material to said mechanism and means for periodically imparting feeding movement to one of said rolls, said means having a ratchet and pawl device for permitting free rotation of the roll when the material is pulled past the roll by said mechanism.

16. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof sufficient to closely wrap the article of wrapper material feeding means operating on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said feeding means including a roll in engagement with the material, a gear connected to said roll to drive the same,'and an oscillating gear segment arranged to mesh with said gear.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK REINHOLD SCHMITT.

13. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to pull from a source of supply of wrapping material a length thereof suflicient to closely wrap the article, of wrapper material feeding means operating on the portion of the wrapping material trailing said length to follow said length with an additional adjoining length of material to produce loose wrapping of the article, said means including coacting rolls guiding the material to said mechanism and means for periodically imparting feeding movement to one of said rolls.

14. The combination with article wrapping mechanism 0 erating to pull from a source of supply" 0 wrapping material a length thereof suflicient to closely wrap the article,-

of wrapper material feeding means operating 

